CHAPTER 23

Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden
with Azure Hair is dead. He meets a Pigeon,
who carries him to the seashore. He throws himself
into the sea to go to the aid of his father

As soon as Pinocchio no longer felt the shameful weight
of the dog collar around his neck, he started to run across
the fields and meadows, and never stopped till he came to
the main road that was to take him to the Fairy's house.

When he reached it, he looked into the valley far below
him and there he saw the wood where unluckily he had
met the Fox and the Cat, and the tall oak tree where he
had been hanged; but though he searched far and near, he
could not see the house where the Fairy with the Azure
Hair lived.

He became terribly frightened and, running as fast as he
could, he finally came to the spot where it had once stood.
The little house was no longer there. In its place lay a
small marble slab, which bore this sad inscription:

HERE LIES
THE LOVELY FAIRY WITH AZURE HAIR
WHO DIED OF GRIEF
WHEN ABANDONED BY
HER LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO

The poor Marionette was heartbroken at reading these
words. He fell to the ground and, covering the cold marble
with kisses, burst into bitter tears. He cried all night, and
dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried
and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But
these were so loud that they could be heard by the
faraway hills.

As he sobbed he said to himself:

"Oh, my Fairy, my dear, dear Fairy, why did you die?
Why did I not die, who am so bad, instead of you, who
are so good? And my father--where can he be? Please
dear Fairy, tell me where he is and I shall never, never
leave him again! You are not really dead, are you? If you
love me, you will come back, alive as before. Don't you
feel sorry for me? I'm so lonely. If the two Assassins come,
they'll hang me again from the giant oak tree and I will
really die, this time. What shall I do alone in the world?
Now that you are dead and my father is lost, where shall
I eat? Where shall I sleep? Who will make my new
clothes? Oh, I want to die! Yes, I want to die! Oh, oh, oh!"